Looking for a Stork Search replacement?
Stork Search pioneered client-side search in the browser, but the project is no longer actively maintained. Sprigr picks up where Stork left off: same client-side search concept, actively developed, with managed hosting, analytics, and an admin dashboard.
Sprigr vs Stork Search
A feature-by-feature comparison.
| Sprigr | Stork Search | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Actively maintained | Unmaintained |
| Hosting | Managed SaaS (CDN-delivered) | Self-hosted |
| Index compilation | Automatic via REST API | Manual CLI tool |
| Search architecture | Client-side search | Client-side search |
| Analytics | Built-in dashboard | None |
| Admin dashboard | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Typo tolerance | Levenshtein with length-based thresholds | Basic |
| Faceted filtering | ✓ Yes (bitmap-based) | ✗ No |
| Dynamic content | Push via API anytime | Rebuild index manually |
| Free tier | Free forever (1K objects) | Open source (self-hosted) |
What Sprigr adds on top
The managed service layer Stork never had.
Actively maintained
Sprigr is under active development with regular releases, security updates, and new features. Stork Search stopped receiving significant updates some time ago. If you want a client-side search engine that is still being improved, Sprigr is the obvious choice.
Fully managed, no self-hosting
Stork required you to compile indexes locally and host the output files yourself. Sprigr handles index compilation, CDN delivery, and content updates through the REST API. You push data, we serve the search module globally.
Analytics and admin dashboard
Stork had no analytics or management UI. Sprigr includes a dashboard for index management, query analytics, click tracking, and team collaboration, all of the things that Stork users had to build themselves or go without.
Migration path from Stork to Sprigr
Both Stork and Sprigr use client-side search, so the underlying concept is identical. The main difference is that Sprigr handles index compilation and hosting for you. Here is what a migration looks like:
Replace the script tag. Remove the Stork JavaScript file references. Add the Sprigr script tag with your index ID and API key.
Push your content via API. Instead of running stork build with a TOML config file, send your records to the Sprigr REST API. You can do this from a build script, a CI/CD step, or the admin dashboard.
Update your search UI. If you built a custom search interface around Stork's JavaScript API, adapt it to Sprigr's API. The concepts are similar: you call a search function and receive an array of results with titles, excerpts, and highlighted matches.
Most migrations take under an hour. The content structure is the same, and both tools serve the same purpose: fast, client-side search without a backend.
What switching actually saves you
Stork Search
Free but abandoned. No updates, no support, no security patches.
Sprigr
Actively maintained. Fully managed. Unlimited searches. Free tier: 1K objects forever.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stork Search still maintained?
No. Stork Search is no longer actively maintained. The project's GitHub repository has not received significant updates, and the creator has moved on to other work. Existing installations will continue to function since the compiled files are self-contained, but there are no new features, bug fixes, or security patches.
How hard is it to migrate from Stork to Sprigr?
The migration is straightforward. Replace the Stork script tag with the Sprigr script tag, and push your content to the Sprigr REST API instead of running the Stork CLI. If you have a custom search UI, adapt it to Sprigr's JavaScript API. Most migrations take under an hour.
Does Sprigr require me to self-host anything?
No. Sprigr is a fully managed service. You push data via the REST API, and Sprigr handles index compilation, hosting, CDN delivery, and analytics. There is nothing to install, compile, or deploy on your infrastructure.
Can I keep using Stork if it works for me?
Yes. Stork's compiled files are self-contained and will continue to work. However, you will not receive bug fixes, security patches, or new features. If your search needs grow or you encounter an issue, you will need to resolve it yourself or migrate to an actively maintained tool.
Try the modern client-side search engine.
Free forever. No credit card required.